The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1887-01-21
GOV. PIERCE'S MESSAGE.
Text Of the Governors Message to the LesiSla.
tpre Of Dakota.
AN ABLE DOCUMENT.

1he following is the text OF Gov. Pierce s
message to the legislature:
Gentlemen of the Council and House of ReUrr'
BentatiVes: Once more the legislature o. ~"
Territory OF Dakota has assembled in Ub"C!""c D.
to law. With few exceptions the faces Of tnOs
who compose this general assembly are ne" l."
these halls. In the exercise OF their sovereign
will and pleasure the people have seen IL l." HI
the places OF their former servants with olneT
men, who have gained in daily lntercOurS" Ml,h
them their esteem and confidence. But Willie
the personnel of law-maklng bodies may change,
Legislative authority and responsibility remain
Men die, officials change, but government en-
dures. For the time being this asSemhiage Is
empowered to speak and act for the 100000
people who comprise the population or Luts ter
r1tory. IL Is a gave respOnslDlhCy' no" you
shall perform this representative work most
faithfully and effectively, is \ question that may
well inspire anxious thought and serious re-
Election. In many respects gentlemen, you
come here at an suspicious time. amt under
favorable conditions. ] Sc MOI remember
q period when better and kinder teel-
ing has prevailed; and III spite OF
the hard times so generally felt
throughout the Union, there has never been RI
assemblaRe Of the legislature which found the
fiscal concerns of the territory III SO prosperous
q condition, Taxation for territorial purposes
Is now 80 light as TO be scarcely felt by the peo-
pie, and can be reduced still further In the near
future. The treasury shows a balance on hand
not only sufficient TO pay all proper expenses OF
the territorial government, and all reasonable
appropriations, but TO pay OF all the bonded III
debtedness Of the territory, which under the
option contained in the law, can be called IN at
this time. Ninety thousand dollars OF bonds,
which It was provided might be paid by the ter
TitOry at its option within five years Of thelr
issue, have already been called for by the treSs-
urer, but owing TO the neglect OF the law to pro
vide exactly how this cali might be issued, and
under what circumstances interest on such
bonds should thereafter cease, holders have re-
fused to present them for redemption. This
difficulty should be promptly met by the enact
ment Of q law permitting the treasurer 20 take
advantage of the option reserved, and holders be
required to either refund the bonds At a lower
rate Of interest, or present them for redemption
The territory is paying about SI4 per day on
these bonds, which can be stopped at once II the
Legislature will grant the necessary authority.
SALE OF BONDS
The bon Is authorized by the last legis 'rce,
amounting to $4,000, were sold at 10 -,
and the premium, amounting to IS, 63S.-. was
credited TO the territory on the books Z he
treasurer. This is the first instance IN the ais
tory Of the territory where bonds have been sold
ut a premium: indeed as late as the summer OF
1854, q similar class of bonds were sold at %
and 9SL2 While the sale, therefore, was IN
some respects gratifying, and the growth OF con-
fdence in the financial standing or Dakota very
encouraging, there is no question but that the o
Der cent bonds of the territory are worth much
more than the amount received. Two or three
things have operated TO inJure, in soma degree,
our financial standing; one Is the fact that Da-
kota Is still in a territorial condition. territorial
bonds being unpopular as q rule. Another ia
the existence of the outstanding territorial war
rants issued under the law providing for the
capital commission. In some places a non
payment Of these warrants by the treasurer
seemed to give the impression that the terri
tory was either unsule TO pay, or else was en-
deavoring to repudiate her obligations. With
the latter obst acle removed, / believe that 4 per
cent bonds can be sold at par, and If longtime
bonds should be issued the interest can be made
even less than that named. It will not be a year
before our 6 per cent bonds, having ten years TO
run. will be worth AZ least liz or LIS: l am in
formed that such bonds can not be purchased
to-day for less than LILO. 1t would no doubt be
better If our bonds were not classed as -Agri-
college bonds" Normal scaool bonds"
etc. but were issued as one general bond Of the
territory. This would cause no embarrassment
In any future division Of territorial indebted
ness. for the appropriation always states the
object for which bonds are issued. 1t would
also add to the popularity Of our securities If the
time foZ which they run were made certain in
stead OF optional with the territory. Investors
have loaned money for five years or ten or
twenty.
RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURES.
The total receipts from all sources for the BIZ
Snnihl period covered by the treasurers report.
balance on hand az the close of 1854.
were 81. 1885, 2I6,6T The total amount paid
out for same period was 81. 1872 3404, lea wing
q balance In the treasury, Nov. 80, 1886, OF
2 32,98263. Deducting the amount paid TO
counties rs their share of railroad tax, the
amount Of bonds, etc for permanent improve
ments Of public institutions, and we have a bal
ance of 300. 27S, which represents the amount
expended during the biennial period. Take
from this the cost OF the constitutional conven-
tfOn. the census, New Orleans exposition, furnI-
1tnre and heating for capitol, and other extraor-
binary appropriations made two years ago lbut
not required nowl, and the rotat expenditure,
less tae bond interest, Is 1888, 279.73 for the
ordinary expenses Of the territorial government,
or $269. i39. SO per year. This sum is divided
as follows:
TVermillion university. sS0.G59 81
Grand Forks university. ............. 26,S6T I6
Deaf mute school ............... 1850 ~
School OF yafnes...... .......... 1911 IL
Madison normal school. ............. 1887 81
Spearhsh normal school, $500. 5,4g8 IS
Agricultural college. ............ ..... 21,77T 10
Total for educational institutions. $ll3.661 "a
Yankton hospital for the insane sos, 0s5 Is
Jamestown hospital for the insane. 65,03O SO
Total for insane ........ ...Sl73,1 ZIG Is
Sioux Falls penitentiary. $40, 923 40
no aA~ nE